There Will Always Be Pride and Prejudices
by SheilaNicole
Summary: A modernized P & P Lizzie is a Southern girl with a meddling and gossipy mother, a father who is struggling with the family business, a little sister who may be going down the wrong path and an older sister she adores The trouble and drama start when the Bingley Family and their family friend moves in down the street *includes romance and family bonds* Give it a read? c:
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note**

** Hey guys! c: so, this is my first story and I would love it if you could give me a review, good or bad. I tweaked the story a bit but it's not the major stuff, only things that make it easier to make it modern or little things like ages and appearance **

** okay, here it goes c: I hope you enjoy it**

** oh *disclaimer* I DO NOT own these characters or Pride and Prejudice, this is just done out of fun and to improve my writing skills **

"...You'd think she'd be proud... daughter is so dedicated that she'll go out and run even when it's muddy out on the trails.. but _noooooooooo_..." in the stereotypical southern accent of my mother, "'Elizabeth, _WHY_ are your shoes covered in that red clay? You _know_ how hard that stuff it to get off once it dries'",I, Lizzie Bennett, muttered to myself as I scrubbed my running shoes.

I had gone out for my daily run, despite how the rain had been pouring just moments before I left, to train for the town's yearly marathon that would be happening in a few months. I didn't care about the mud and the humidity of lower Alabama, I just wanted to be prepared for the race. My mother, however, was greatly disturbed when she found her second-oldest daughter's old pair of tennis shoes out drying on the back porch. And thus sparked another lecture on the importance of tidiness, which was a segue for being ladylike which was a segue to finding a future husband, for for me to endure. My mother was very much a traditional southern woman who seemed to think it was still the age of Gone With the Wind and that she was the character of Scarlett but instead of saving Tera it was her personal mission to marry off all three of her daughters to "respectful gentlemen who could provide all the comforts desired in life and possibly a bit more".

Now, keep in mind that all of us Bennett girls were still living at home, still in school and the oldest was not even eighteen yet. But that didn't stop Mom from thinking of local boys to match her children with. Many a play-date was scheduled with the thought of "maybe years from now they'll be tying the knot". Which meant that my two sisters and I were expected to always be on our best behavior and made to do things that would impress other families in town, in order to keep any possible match that there was a chance of making.

For my older sister, Jane, this wasn't hard at all. She was quite possibly the sweetest, most caring girl in the history of ever. Jane was the sort of person that only saw the good in people and never expected that someone would end up doing anything unkind or unpleasant to her, which could be her greatest weakness at times. Because of this she had a light that shone in her bright blue eyes. Her smile was beautiful; her teeth straight and bright white and her lips full and pink. She was a bit chubby in the cheeks and had curves but no one could call her fat and be right. That didn't stop her from being insecure about her weight and other things about herself. When she laughed it was soft and bell like unless it was something she found extremely funny, then she would snort and throw her head and long dark red hair back; either of the two chuckles were contagious.

My younger sister, fourteen-going-on-twenty-five Lydia had become the master at hiding her wrong doings at a young age. She was Jane's shrunken carbon copy, if she was taller they could be mistaken as twins. Lydia could be described in two words: a flirt. She could batt her blue eyes, say some flattering things to someone and almost always get her way. I worried about her sometimes, she had already started to hang out with the wrong crowd; the partiers, with the boys and girls that would lead her no where if she continued on her path. She could be shallow and wasn't very brainy. I excepted the fact that I wouldn't get any serious conversations from her but if shirtless boys were the topic she was all over it.

I'm not much like either of them, in looks and personality. If dad and I didn't click so well I would think I was switched at the hospital as a baby sixteen years ago, sometimes I still do. Jane's sweetness isn't a trait I posses, I can be sarcastic and cutting at times. I'm not flirtatious like Lydia. Instead of their blue eyes like mom's I have dad's gray eyes and I have bright red hair not the dark shade my sister's have.

I finished cleaning my shoes and went into the livingroom where I heard chatter.

"The people who bought the house down the street finally moved in."

"Is that so Sara?", my father replied, sounding bored. I stopped in the hallway, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Yes, and anyone moving into this area is bound to have money. If they have a son that's an opportunity for our girls. You know they'll need to marry into a good family, at the rate we're going we won't be able to provide to them when they're adults."

What was she talking about? Yeah, things were a bit tight with dad's hardware shop not doing well with all the competition of bigger companies, but they were doing fine... weren't they?

"Sara, this is the 21st century, all of our girls are bright, they're going to go to college. Even if I do have to sell the store and find a job, we won't have to provide for them when they're grown... well, maybe for Lydia." It sounded like he picked up the paper, "now, stop with this bizzy body behavior of yours, you're being ridiculous."

Momma huffed and the old floorboards creaked as she left the room. I hurried and ran/walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table with an apple just in time. She came in right after me.

"Finish cleaning your shoes Lizzie?"

"Yes ma'am" I replied, biting into the fruit in my hand.

"I'm sending you and your sister's down with a plate of cookies for the new neighbors soon. Could you tell them?" she told me as she pulled out a baking sheet.

"Yeah", I got up and walked back down the hall and up the stairs. I couldn't talk to my mom right now, afraid that I would give away some reaction to the conversation I wasn't supposed to hear. I'd have to talk to Jane about this.

I now had worries weighing on my mind that I could do without. I didn't think things would get more dramatic than my mother nagging me about dirty shoes on the back porch this morning, I was wrong and it was going to get worse before it got better.

** Author's note**

** Sooooo, did you like the first chapter? Yes/No It would mean a lot if you could give me a review (even if you didn't like it) I'm not writing this for myself so if you have suggestions that would be nice too**

** I'm going to try to update regularly and respond to reviewer's questions or comments in these AN's **

** Let me know if I should continue on? (This is my first story so I'm sort of unsure of this)**

-Sheila c:


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Hey there! So this is the second chapter, I hope you like it c: Please review, even if you think this is the suckiest thing that you've ever read, it would mean a lot to me! Thanks so much to the people who followed, reviewed and favorited- I appreciate it so, so much! c:**

Previously:

_I now had worries weighing on my mind that I could do without. I didn't think things would get more dramatic than my mother nagging me about dirty shoes on the back porch this morning, I was wrong and it was going to get worse before it got better. _

* * *

I knocked on Lydia's door and got no response so I just opened it and walked in. I was immediately overcome with the smell of a sweet smoke of a certain plant.

"Lydia! What are you doing?"

"God, Liz, keep it down would ya?" She was sitting out on the little piece of the roof outside her dormer window smoking a joint. I guessed it was to keep the smoke outside but it wasn't working. "It's just a joint- don't be a killjoy", she snapped.

"And those are just your brain cells that you're killing", I retorted

"Whatever", rolling her eyes she came back inside. "What do you want?"

"Mom said we're going to bring cookies to the new neighbors in a bit...",I stopped to think of words to say to my little sister as she turned away from me and started to go out the window again. "Hey, Lyd? I'm worried about you... You don't have to do that you know, to get friends, you're a nice girl and-"

She cut me off, "save it sister",pausing to take a drag, "It's my life, my choices. Don't try to mother me. If that was all you had to say you can leave now."

"Okay... I love you Lydia" I said dejectedly and turned around and left the room.

"Love you too" She called from her smoking spot.

Jane's door was open so I just walked in. "Hey, Mom wants us to bring cookies to the new neighbors down the street."

"Okay, when?" She looked up from her book.

"When they're done I guess... I need to talk to you, Jay" She sat up and patted a spot on her bed.

"What about?"

"A couple of things... Do you know how bad things have gotten with the store?" I questioned her.

"I know it's been rough, why?" A concerned look fell upon her full face.

I repeated Mom and Dad's conversation to her and felt myself begin to shake a little as my eyes filled with tears. I blinked them away fast. I don't know why I started to cry, I was worried I guess. "What if dad has to sell it? it's not like there are lots of jobs right now, and not ones that can pay for all the bills and everything."

"I don't know Lizzie. But, everything is going to be fine." Jane smiled optimistically but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Mom and Dad always find a way to fix things, you know that Lizzie." She pulled me into a hug and I believed her for a second. "What was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"

"It's Lyd, I found her smoking a joint just now in her room" I said simply. "I'm worried about her..."

"I am too, but she's her own person. We can't tell her what to do. Momma and Dad could, if they knew, but would she listen to them?" We both knew the answer to that , and it wasn't yes. "If any of us tried to tell her how to live her life, she'd just push us away."

"I just got a little taste of that when I tried talking to her", I said simply.

"Let's just hope this is a stage she's going through, okay?" Jane. Always so optimistic. How does she do it?

Suddenly, Lydia appeared in the doorway. "Waddup my sistas?" Her red eyes showed that she had finished her joint. "Do you think mom made cookies for us too? I'm wanting something sweet and totally unhealthy right now. Oh! Lizzie my darlin' big sis can I borrow some contact solution?" She gestured towards her eyes, "these are kind of a giveaway", she giggled.

"..Yeah..It's in the medicine cabinet downstairs-"

I was cut off yet again by her, "thanks Liz!" she said as she left the room.

I fell back and laid on Jane's bed. We shared a look for a second then we heard a the over timer go off and headed downstairs.

* * *

Plate of cookies in hand, we three walked down the sidewalk to the new neighbor's house. It was sticky and humid in the late Summer heat, gray clouds still in the air. It would cool down in the evening but it was still early in the afternoon. I kind of pitied the people moving in, they had to bring in all of their heavy boxes in this mucky weather.

"So why are we doing this again?" Lydia asked.

"Because", Jane retorted, "It's a nice thing to do."

I snorted, "yeah, but it's also because our mother is noisy and wants details about the newcomers. And if she can form an arranged marriage, well that's just a plus."

"Lizzie!" Jane sounded exasperated.

"What!? You know it's the truth."

"It is", Lydia chimed in. "I think Mom a screw or two loose up there."

"Be nice Lydia", Jane told her.

We reached the front porch and knocked on the door. I expected the mother or father to answer, I don't know why, but I did. I was pleasantly surprised by who greeted us instead...

**Author's Note:**

**In the next chapter we will meet Bingley ****_for sure_**** but I haven't decided about Darcy yet**

**Thanks for reading c: 3 3 **

**-Sheila 3**


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